"There are only two possible responses to suffering on this
scale. We can turn our eyes away in resignation and despair, or we can
take decisive, historic action to turn the tide against this
disease..."

President George W. Bush April 29, 2003 Washington, D.C.

Presidential Action

President Bush led the G-8 today in endorsing the establishment
of a Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise, a virtual consortium to accelerate
HIV vaccine development. The President also announced plans to
establish a second HIV Vaccine Research and Development Center in the
U.S., and urged his G-8 counterparts to increase their commitment to
vaccine development.

U.S. Leadership: With over 40 million people suffering from
HIV/AIDS worldwide, President Bush is leading global efforts to
combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic through his $15 billion Emergency Plan for
AIDS Relief and his commitment to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,
Tuberculosis, and Malaria, to which the United States has pledged more
than $1.96 billion, or 36% of all pledges through 2008. But, the human
and economic toll of the HIV pandemic demands that these activities be
complemented by accelerated efforts to develop an HIV vaccine.

Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise: President Bush gained G-8
endorsement today of the establishment of a Global HIV Vaccine
Enterprise, a virtual consortium to accelerate HIV vaccine
development by enhancing coordination, information sharing, and
collaboration globally. This concept has been proposed by an
international group of scientists Klausner, RD,
Fauci AS, et al: The need for a global HIV vaccine enterprise. Science
300:2036, 2003. and is analogous to the successful alliance and
strategic plan that characterized the approach to the human genome
project.

The G-8 called on the Enterprise to develop a strategic plan
to:

Prioritize the scientific challenges to be addressed and
fill the identified gaps in knowledge;

Coordinate product
development efforts; and

Help align and channel existing and
new resources to the needs at hand.

The United States will host later this year a meeting of all
interested stakeholders in the Enterprise to encourage their
collaborative efforts in HIV vaccine development.

New U.S. Vaccine R&D Center: President Bush announced today
plans to establish a second HIV Vaccine Research and Development
Center, in addition to the one at the U.S. National Institutes of
Health. The new center will become a key component of the Global HIV
Vaccine Enterprise. The United States is investing $488 million in HIV
vaccine development in FY2004, and has requested $533 million in
FY2005. President Bush urged his G-8 counterparts and other donors
to increase their commitment.